Max 4, 1893. ] 
JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 
3G5 
favourable a free circulation of warm, rather dry air must be afforded. 
Syringing must cease directly or slightly in advance of the fruit com¬ 
mencing to ripen, and, though moderate air moisture is essential to the 
health of the foliage, a superabundance of moisture about the house 
should be avoided. Let the fruit be perfectly ripe before gathering for 
home use ; if it has to be packed it should be gathered a few days 
earlier, but never before it is nearly quite ripe at the base of the fruit. 
A good watering should be given when indications of ripening appear, 
which more particularly applies to trees with only limited space for the 
roots. 
Succession Houses. — Attend to stopping the young shoots at the 
fifth or sixth leaf, but avoid overcrowding the growths, for the fruit¬ 
fulness of Fig trees depends greatly on the exposure of the foliage and 
wood to plenty of light and air, and too close pinching and a superfluity 
of spurs is not desirable, as the finest fruit is borne on extensions. The 
euccessional growths also should be kept rather thin, allowing those 
only to remain that will be required to supplant the branches 
annually ; cut out and maintain a proper successional supply of bearing 
parts. It is no use, however, striving to render gross trees fruitful by 
stopping and thinning, for nothing will do that but judicious root- 
pruning and limiting the rooting area, rendering it firm, so that the 
trees live thriftily. Attend to syringing the trees twice daily, and water 
abundantly at the roots as often as required ; employ weak tepid liquid 
manure, especially where the borders are small, and add to the mulching 
so as to keep about an inch thickness of lumpy material on the border, 
into which the roots will spread, and they can then be fed to any 
extent. 
Cherry House. —Early Elvers, Belle d’Orleans, Black Tartarian, 
and Governor Wood afford a supply of welcome and delicious fruit for 
some weeks. The fruit must be kept dry from the first indications of 
ripening, but the house should have atmospheric moisture furnished by 
damping the surface of the borders and paths occasionally. Admit air 
constantly, or condensation will take place, and moisture being deposited 
on the fruit, it will be ruined by cracking, and instead of having an 
agreeable be given an unpleasant flavour. The trees must not suffer from 
dryness at the roots, but the soil be kept in a moist condition, an exami¬ 
nation being made periodically ; and whenever a supply is needed, afford 
it thoroughly without delay. Tie in the shoots as they advance in 
growth, leaving no more than are necessary for furnishing the trellis 
regularly, allowing sufficient space for the spurs, and stop those not 
required for training in at about the fifth leaf, pinching subsequent 
growths to one leaf. Ventilate freely on all favourable occasions, and 
when the external conditions are unfavourable recourse must be had to 
the heating apparatus to ensure a circulation of warm, moderately dry 
air. Netting will be necessary over the ventilators to prevent the birds 
attacking the Cherries. Black aphides must be kept under by dipping 
the shoots or leaves in tobacco water. 
Strawberries In Pots.— John Ruskin proves as prone to attacks 
of mildew as the Black Prince, and in many places this is a serious 
drawback to their cultivation. La Grosse Sucree, therefore, still holds 
first place as the best first early forced Strawberry, and to succeed it 
none equal Auguste Nicaise, which is not only great in size, finely 
shapen, bright in colour, and a certain and great cropper, but the fruit 
is of excellent quality. Arrangements should be made to secure a suc¬ 
cession of fruit, which is a matter of difficulty where forcing has to be 
carried on in vineries and Peach houses, for red spider is soon trans¬ 
mitted to the Vines or Peach trees from the Strawberry plants, which 
must be kept clean by regular syringing and due supplies of nourish¬ 
ment at the roots. Crops that are ripening may be retarded in various 
ways for several days in case an extra supply of fruit is required for 
particular occasions. Turning the fruits from the sun, shifting the 
plants to a north house, or removing them from under glass into an 
airy fruit room or other cool place after the fruits are fully ripe, are 
some of the expedients had recourse to. Much can be done to relieve 
fruit houses of Strawberry plants by accommodating as many as there 
are room for in cold pits or frames, where they will finish off well with 
judicious management, not forgetting to use protection over the lights 
on cold nights. All that were placed in cold pits some time ago for a 
late successional supply of fruit should have the flower spikes thinned 
out to the requisite number, keeping the plants well supplied with 
water, leaving room between them for a free circulation of air, and the 
foliage must be kept clear of the glass. Liquid manure should be 
given at every alternate watering to plants swelling their crops, taking 
care not to give it too strong, as that destroys the roots, and when 
cold it chills them, and causes the fruit to swell irregularly. 
THE FLOWER GARDEN. 
Beds of Spring Flowers. —A long spell of exceptionally hot and 
dry weather has greatly shortened the duration of the spring flowers 
generally, and it is not many of them that will interfere with the pre¬ 
paration of the beds for their summer occupants. In many cases the 
removal of the former may well be commenced at once, and this, though 
unsatisfactory in some respects, is not so in others. Usually the spring 
flowering plants that are reserved for propagating purposes or for future 
use are neglected during the month of June, but this year they ought to 
be taken in hand before summer bedding out commences. Some of the 
uardy plants are also very suitable for summer use, and these should be 
transplanted where this is necessary as early in May as possible. 
Ajuga reptans rubra. — This is scarcely showy enough for the 
beds in summer, but is of good service during the winter. Nothing is 
more easily propagated. All that is necessary is to pull the old plants 
to pieces, every little division with a few roots attached being dibbled in 
rather thickly in a cool moist position, and given water occasionally if 
the weather is dry t'll well established. 
Alyssum saxatlle and Zberlses. — These are most showy 
spring flowering perennials and require almost identical treat¬ 
ment. The same plants if taken good care of are available for several 
seasons in succession, but it is always advisable to propagate a consider¬ 
able number every summer, as they are rather slow in attaining a 
serviceable size. Much may be done in the w’ay of splitting the old 
plants, every piece with a few roots attached being planted somewhat 
closely in rows 10 inches apart on a cool border. All old flowers and 
any fresh ones that form should be kept closely gathered from them, 
and without much further trouble a lot of strong spreading plants 
should be the result. Short rootless pieces or cuttings can be either 
dibbled out rather thickly and firmly at the foot of a north wall, though 
if enclosed by handlights and given the benefit of sandy soil they wall 
strike more surely and quickly. They must not be allowed to suffer from 
want of water, and if not close up to a wall should be carefully shaded 
from bright sunshine. 
Arabises and Aubrletlas.— The variegated forms of the former 
if prevented flowering are very pretty, and quite gcod enough for 
summer bedding, as well as the winter decoration of beds. If there is 
no necessity to disturb them so much the better, but large old plants 
may well be lifted, divided freely, and replanted as an edging. Should 
the soil be at all dry, and very heavy rains will be needed to remoisten 
them, well water prior to replanting the Arabises, and again after they 
are planted, also shading them from fierce sunshine for a few days, 
branches of trees or evergreens answering well for the purpose. The 
ordinary flowering varieties of both Arabises and Aubrietias can be 
pulled to pieces freely and replanted somewhat thickly on good ground, 
taking care to well bury and fix the stems. This will be found a better 
plan than dividing the old plants when they are transferred to the 
beds in the autumn. 
Daisies.— Already these plants have suffered badly from the heat 
and drought, and unless attended to soon many plants may be lost. The 
variegated form will be found a very effective edging plant for beds or 
borders in cool moist positions. Those growing solely for their flowers 
can be pulled to pieces and replanted somewhat closely in lines 6 inches 
or rather more apart, a cool position, such as the spaces among fruit 
trees and bushes, best suiting them. See that they do not become dry 
at the roots before they have time to take possession of their fresh 
quarters. 
.Cerastlum and Stachys lanata.— These silvery foliaged plants 
are of good service during the summer as well as the winter, the former 
forming a neat edging for small beds, and the latter being most effective 
in a broad band surrounding large beds, or it may form the groundwork 
for groups in circles of Zonal Pelargoniums, Heliotropes and such like. 
The Cerastium may be pulled to pieces and replanted closely and deeply, 
much as Box edging is put out, and be kept trimmed into shape, while 
the Stachys can be very freely divided and replanted just clear of each 
other. Water the ground freely both before and after planting unless 
sufficient rains have fallen to well moisten the soil. 
Wallflowers. —Hot sunshine quickly spoils these. Large old plants 
of the commoner forms, or such as can be readily raised from seed, are 
not worth keeping ; but late-raised stocky plants if replanted among 
shrubs and other somewhat similar quarters and not again disturbed, 
would give a display of early bloom next spring. Now is the best time 
to sow seed. If the sowing is deferred later than May the chances are 
the plants obtained will be too small to be of any real service. Open 
shallow drills 6 inches apart on a well prepared border, water these 
gently, sow the seed somewhat thinly, and level over. Nothing but a 
long - continued drought ought to necessitate watering of these seed 
beds. If only a few dozen plants are required sow the seed in pans or 
boxes, and set these in a cool place. Double ffowering varieties, other 
than the tall German strains, and which latter are raised from seed 
with the ordinary forms, are propagated by means of short cuttings 
taken or pulled off with a heel, and either dibbled in handlights set in 
a cool place, or else at the foot of a north wall or fence. Given the 
assistance of good light sandy soil, the cuttings being firmly fixed in 
this, and they will root more surely, and also transplant more readily 
than they will out of poor hard soil. 
Dactylls and Festuoa. —Dactyl is glcmerata variegata and Fcstuca 
glauca are effective for the beds either during the winter or summer, 
and ought to be very extensively grown where much bedding out has to 
be done. Both are suitable for edgings, the first named being the 
neatest in growth. If it is intended to increase the stock or to change 
the position this should be done soon. They will bear being pulled 
to pieces severely, but the divisions ought to be firmly and rather deeply 
replanted in fairly good moisture-holding soil, and watered occasionally 
till well established. 
IHlscellaneous.— Hepaticas transplant re.’dily enough, and may 
also be freely divided at the present time. They succeed best in peaty 
soil and cool positions. Hellebores may also be removed from the 
flower beds, split if large, and be replanted among fruit trees or in 
other laoderately cool positions. The Gentianellasdo not move well, and 
thrive best where not exposed to fierce sun-hiue and are planted in 
strong soil. Now is the time to propagate by division. Saxifragas can 
be lifted, divided and replanted much as advised in the case of Daisies, 
and if sufficient seedling Primulas, Primroses, and Polyanthuses are not 
already raised, the stock can be increased and improved by dividing and 
replanting on cool borders. All bulbous rcoted plants that must of 
